Category Sports News

Ford Championship first-round leaderboard

-9 C Hull (Eng); -8 NK Madsen (Den); -7 SY Kim (Kor), B Henderson (Can), J-H Im (Kor), M Lee (Kor), M Katsu (Jpn), A Doherty (US), P Chien (Tpe), I Yoon (Kor)

Selected others: -5 N Korda (US); -2 C McGinty (Eng), L Maguire (Ire); -1 G Dryburgh (Sco); E J Ewart (Eng); +2 G Hall (Eng)

England’s Charley Hull shot an impressive nine-under-par round of 63 to take a one-shot lead into the second round of the Ford Championship in Arizona.

Hull started her bogey-free round on the back nine, picking up four shots before the turn and birdieing five holes down the stretch.

“I kind of tweaked my driver at the beginning of the week and I really, really, really hit it well today,” said Hull, whose last LPGA win came in 2022.

“I felt like that put me in a lot of good positions. I was hitting it good and felt confident. I just felt good out there.”

Hull leads Nanna Koerstz Madsen by one after the Dane bogeyed the par-four fifth hole, while eight players are tied on seven under.

Defending champion and world number one Nelly Korda shot 67 on her return from a six-week break, leaving her tied for 17th place.

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday to resurrect their extraordinary 119-117 comeback. Josh Giddey hit a brilliant half-court buzzer-beater.

With less than 13 seconds left in the United Center, the Bulls had a five-point lead, but they only managed to score three three three-pointers in the final ten seconds of the game.

Giddey flew within his own half as his shot found the hoop with remarkable calm as the time ran out.

Giddey recorded his fifth triple-double of the season with 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists, surpassing Michael Jordan’s previous total of 15 in a single season.

Giddey referred to it as “special moment to do it with these guys, this team.”

LeBron James claimed the Bulls should have watched the game after giving away possession with 9.8 seconds left when his team was 115-113 up.

We prepared ourselves for victory, and we did so after the fourth quarter, which included a lot of threes, James said.

“Horrible turnover by myself, miscommunication with the play before that. Austin Reaves attempted to save us, but unfortunately. “Tip your hats”

The Oklahoma City Thunder won the 121-104 game against the Memphis Grizzlies, setting a franchise record 61st win of the season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading 37 points.

The Thunder have won 61 of their 73 matches this term and have already won the Western Conference title.

For the first time since 2016, they are aiming to make it past the second round of the post-season.

The NFL’s free agency season is always busy, and this year, two quarterbacks won the Super Bowl.

Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers both had roles, which sparked weeks of rumors about their future careers.

Seattle, Wilson’s former team, has made the most significant moves as they attempt to usher in a new era.

In other sports, some teams have focused on rebuilding their offensive lines in preparation for the 2025 season, while stars like Ja’Marr Chase and Myles Garrett are staying put despite receiving lucrative extensions.

The Seahawks’ front office has now made some bold moves to officially end Pete Carroll’s 14-year coaching and rebuild the franchise under MacDonald.

Seattle signed the 27-year-old on a $150 million (£116. 5 million) deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, making him the NFL’s fourth highest-paid wide receiver.

Sam Darnold, 27, was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders for quarterback Geno Smith, 34, on a three-year, $ 100.5 million (£ 78 million) contract.

After JJ McCarthy, the first-round pick of the year, suffered a pre-season injury, Darnold was given the starting job at Minnesota.

Darnold made a great job of reviving his career, but McCarthy’s fitness was always a problem when he was back in top shape.

With McCarthy under a rookie contract, the Vikings have made significant investments in strengthening their offensive line.

Both Drake Maye and Caleb Williams, both second-year quarterbacks in need of greater protection, have done the same for the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears.

For instance, Wiliams was the draft’s top quarterback last year, but he was sacked 68 times, or 16 more than any other quarterback, in his rookie season.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ offence ended the season with a powerful performance, but they were too late to earn a play-off spot.

In the end, Ja’Marr Chase won the receiving triple crown while quarterback Joe Burrow led the league in passing yards and touchdown passes, leading the team in the receiving department.

In the off-season, the Bengals doubled down on their attacking identity and made the necessary contract decisions for Chase and fellow receiver Tee Higgins.

In addition to earning $115 million (£89 million), they also granted Chase the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history on a deal worth $161 million (£125 million).

Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett, both of whom are the NFL’s best pass rushers, received handsome rewards for their contributions.

Many players have left the San Francisco 49ers to make room for the salary cap, with the team preparing to offer quarterback Brock Purdy a long-term contract.

The 49ers’ championship window may have come to an end with Versatile receiver Deebo Samuel leaving and being traded to the Washington Commanders. So after losing in two of their previous six Super Bowls, the team could have lost.

After rebuilding their roster around Aaron Rodgers, the NFL’s four-time Most Valuable Player, the New York Jets were rumored to be contenders for the Super Bowl last year, but the gamble didn’t materialize.

The 41-year-old has been replaced by former Chicago and Pittsburgh quarterback Justin Fields and released receiver Davante Adams, who was traded by the Rams to replace Kupp.

Rodgers, who has spoken to the Giants, Steelers, and Vikings, is still deciding whether Russell Wilson will join the New York Giants or the New York Giants.

Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson will now face off in the starting lineup against the Indianapolis Colts.

After losing to teenage sensation Alexandra Eala in the semi-finals, world number one Aryna Sabalenka will face Jessica Pegula in the Miami Open final on Saturday.

Sabalenka, a 26-year-old Belarusian, won the tournament by storming past Jasmine Paolini, who is yet to lose a set.

Mirra Andreeva defeated Sabalenka earlier this month at Indian Wells, making it two finals in a row. Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, lost to Andreeva in the Indian Wells earlier this month.

Sabalenka, the top seed, dominated Italian Paolini on Thursday with powerful serves and punishing groundstrokes, having never before made it to the Miami showpiece.

In a victory that was only one hour and 13 minutes, Sabalenka barely put a foot wrong with her two mistimed overheads and an ambitious “tweener” shot that did not have enough power to trouble her opponent.

“I’m so happy that I had another chance, another final, and another chance to win,” Sabalenka said.

She is a fantastic player, so I knew I would work hard for every win.

Sabalenka reached her fourth final in 2025, defeating Andreeva at Indian Wells and American Madison Keys at the Australian Open in January.

On her way to the last four, Filipino Eala, who is ranked 140th in the world, defeated Jelena Ostapenko, Keys, and world number two Iga Swiatek, who had only won two WTA main draw titles before making it to Miami.

In a two-hour, 24 minute match, Pegula broke three records to win the second set, pushing the lowest-ranked semi-finalist in Miami Open history.

The stars must align, as they did this week, and I hope to be able to maintain that momentum. That’s my current goal, to maintain this momentum,” she said.

Due to his devotion to his beloved Latics, which spanned more than 40 years, Darren Orme was a well-known figure who cycled through the streets of his hometown as a “Mr. Wigan Athletic.”

He was almost always first on the supporters’ coach when they traveled to away games, and he enjoyed waiting until dawn for big events like the 2013 FA Cup final win over Manchester City at Wembley.

In response to the 54-year-old’s disappearance on March 5, there was a significant public outcry from supporters, the town, and its respective football and rugby league clubs.

Unfortunately, his body was discovered in the shadow of Brick Community Stadium, where he had always occupied the East Stand, two weeks later.

The Wigan community was able to demonstrate the powerful idea of football as an extension of family in a heartfelt and heartwarming way thanks to the story.

A minute’s applause will be held for this devoted supporter at Wigan Athletic’s home game against Barnsley on Saturday (15:00 GMT), and a scarf and a shirt with the words “Darren 1 of our own” will be embroidered on his seat.

A carpet of flowers has grown around the stadium’s statue of former Wigan chairman and owner Dave Whelan since the news of Darren’s passing, and a condolence book has been published.

The significance of a football club’s role in its community has been exposed in themidst of the sadness, and the town as a whole as a whole.

In the days following Darren’s disappearance, Mick Wimsey, the club’s travel and supporters club chairman, conducted a search for him while also taking early morning drives in an effort to find the friend who had followed Wigan Athletic with him for more than 40 years.

He told BBC Sport, “We live in a bad world.” However, it is amazing how much goodness has come out of this. We set up a search on the Sunday following his disappearance when there was no word on Darren for a few days.

Although I had more than 100 attendees, I was only anticipating a small number of people. From 10 am to 4 pm, all those people searched for Darren, and some went back after taking a break.

There were people who don’t even watch football on that Sunday morning who saw him leaving his bike for work and felt compelled to go find him. Although it was heartbreaking, there was also good in it.

He continued, “Football clubs are like your family. At Latics, he was a member of our family. You would never forget him once you first saw him. His smile was unwavering. Armani would profit from what Darren had if he could bottle it.

You observed him more frequently than your own family members. One of my closest friends was him. I’ve been a fan of Wigan for 46 seasons and the supporters’ club for 44. I’ve had a long friendship with Darren. When we were both about 14 years old, we met at a game against Walsall.

In the local paper, I was asked to dedicate a poem to him. I was merely pouring it out of me, and I was left with a face full of tears. Everyone adored Darren, but I never knew he was the worst person I’ve ever met.

The official Wigan Athletic Supporters Club paid emotional homage to “a recognisable and loved character” who “lived and breathed blue and white.” Before Saturday’s game, Darren’s family will receive a framed certificate as a posthumous tribute to the fan of the month award.

Posters were positioned in Wigan’s shop windows when he was reported missing, and Ryan Lowe, the new manager, made a public appeal. A banner was also displayed at Wigan’s training facility.

Over the past few years, Lactics has had its issues both on and off the pitch, according to Jamie Allen, Wigan’s head of media marketing and communications. Wigan Athletic has been experiencing a rollercoaster ride, but this demonstrated the club’s and town’s core values.

The outcome was “not the outcome everyone wanted,” and while devastating, it brought together a town and a sporting fan base at both Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors. When there is a need, the community and the clubs work together, just like families did here.

Although this is a very sad outcome, the positive aspects of what it says about our town, the people who live there, and how important a football club and its supporters can be, and of course, the rugby league club can be.

When Wigan host Barnsley on Saturday, Wigan fans will experience heartache, but Wimsey asserts that “football supporters are a community regardless of who you support.” Our biggest rivals, the Bolton Wanderers, were sending their sympathies and thoughts.

Of course, Wigan is not the first team or community to demonstrate that football has a life and an impact that lasts beyond 90 minutes.

Bradley Lowery, age 18, was only 18 months old when he was discovered to have neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer, and had become known to the entire football league.

The Sunderland fan gained international recognition after receiving 250, 000 Christmas cards from all over the world as “best mates” with his hero, striker Jermain Defoe.

At BBC Sports Personality of the Year, he met then-England manager Gareth Southgate and former-footballer Gary Lineker, and he won the match’s goal of the month award after taking a penalty before a Sunderland game against Chelsea.

In addition, Rangers captain James Tavernier, goalkeeper Jack Butland, and former Scotland international Robert Snodgrass all contributed to a fundraiser for a fan who was killed in Turkey after being hit by two cars while crossing a Turkish road before the Glasgow side’s Europa League clash with Fenerbahce earlier this month.

Another club that has experienced tragedy is Oxford United, where former winger Joey Beauchamp, regarded by many as their greatest player, committed suicide in February 2022.

His younger brother Luke has established a foundation in his name to support the families of those who struggle with mental illness and depression.

We want to feel connected to the club we love, along with the fans who share the experience, according to Paul Peros, chairman of OXVOX, the Independent Supporters Trust for Oxford United.

“In a slightly different way, it felt almost like a family to me when Joey passed away, because football is a family, especially at your own club,” he said.

You spend just as much time with your loved ones as you do with your typical dates. You form those bonds. The tragic story of the Wigan supporter demonstrates how football can reach communities far beyond the field.

“You might not know them, but you may have just seen them at away games or whatever. Like family members, you have shared experiences. They will bring up issues like the experiences, the non-league days, and the good and bad things right away as soon as you sit down.